Adjustable wing structure for aeroplanes



Oct: 1 I V 1 1927' A. NOSAN ADJUSTABLE WING STRUCTURE FOR AEROPLANESFiled Aug. 12. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYR v 244. AtHONAUHUS 1927. A. .NOSAN ADJUSTABLE WING STRUCTUREFOR AEROPLANES Oct. 11

Filed Aug. 12. 1926 .3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY;

244. AERONAUTlCS Oct; "11,1927.

I A. N-QSAN ADJUSTABLE WING STRUCTURE FOR AEROPLANES Filed 'Aug. 12.1926 3 Sheets-Sheet5 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

244. AE'RoNAuuCs Patented Get. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES ANTON" NOSAN, OE CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ADJUSTABLE WING STRUCTURE FOR AEBOPLANES.

Application filed. August 12, 1926. Serial No. 128,804.

This invention relates to an adjustable wing structure for aeroplanes,and has for its object to provide an aeroplane with wings which can beswung up to an inclined posi tion when a pilot has lost control of thecar. so that the wings will have a parachute effect and serve to directthe aeroplane to the ground top side up, without danger of crashing. Thewings are normally retained in ordinary position by means of suitableguy ropes controlled by a let off mechanism which when released willallow the wings to swing upwardly so that the aeroplane will flutterdown without upsetting.

The invention will be understood from the following description and theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of an aeroplaneprovided with the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is abottom plan view, looking upward. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged detailsof a winding mechanism controlling the guy ropes connected to the wings.

In the drawings, the fuselage is indicated, somewhat diagrammatically,at 5, and having sides 6. A frame 7 is built on the top of the fuselageand has top wings 8 hinged thereto as at 9, at the inner edges of thewings. Lower Wings 10 are hinged at 11 to the sides 6 of the fuselage,and these Wings have front sections 14 hinged thereto as at 12 and rearsections hinged thereto as at 13, the lines of the hinges being obliqueor divergent so that when the sections 14 and 16 swing upwardly theywill diverge from the adjacent sides of the fuselage.

The upper and lower wings 8 and 10 are braced by connecting struts 18hinged to the wings as at 19, and the upper wings 8 and the front andrear wing sections 14 and 16 are connected by guy wires 20 and 21,respectively. By means of this construction, when the lower wings areswung up or down, the upper wings are swung up or down accordingly.

A shaft 22 is journalled in the spaced frames 23 mounted on the bottom24 of the fuselage. The supports have guide pulleys 25 mounted thereinand spaced on the opposite sides of the shaft bearings. Guy ropes 26 areattached to the under side of wings 10 near the outer edges thereof andlead over the pulleys 25 to the winding shaft 22, to which they aresecured. Guy ropes 27 are secured to the under sides of the sections 14and guy ropes 28 are secured to the under sides of the sections 16, andthese ropes also lead over pulleys 25 and are secured to the windingshaft 22.

The shaft 22 has a ratchet wheel 29 thereon, engaged by the teeth of thesliding pawls 31 and 32 pivoted at 33 and 34 to the toggle plates 35.The teeth of the bars 31 and 32 are held in engagement with the teeth ofthe ratchet wheel by a tension spring 30. A hand lever 36 is pivoted asat 37 to the plates 35 and is fulcrumed as at 38 on brackets secured tothe floor 24 of the fuselage, the lever extending thru a slot in saidfloor in position to be operated by a man in the fuselage.

In operation, the Wings 8, 10, 14 and 16 are held in normal flyingposition as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 by the guy ropes 26, 27 and 28which are wound in tension on the winding shaft 22, the rotation ofwhich is prevented by the ratchet bars engaging with the ratchet. Thewings are released to the adjusted or inclined position shown in dottedlines in Figs. 1 and 2 by throwing the lever 36 to full forwardposition, as shown in Fig. 5, until the teeth of the rack bars 31 and 32are disengaged from the ratchet. This releases the shaft 22 and allowsthe wings to swing up in consequence of the air pressure incident todrop of the car, the wings 8 swinging up to inclined position on hinges9, the wings 1O swinging up on hinges 11, and the wings 14 and 16swinging up on hinges 12 and 13, until the cables are unwound, and thisinclination of the wings will cause the aeroplane to drop or flutterdown right side up. Springs 40 may be attached between the wings 10 andthe fuselage sides to assist in drawing the wings up. To return thewings to normal flying position, the lever 36 is rocked back and forthwith the rack teeth of the bars 31 and 32 engaging the ratchet, therebyturning the shaft 22 and winding up the guy ropes and so drawing downthe wings to normal position. The toggle arrangement holds one or theother of the rack bars in engagement with the ratchet at all timesexcept at full release as shown in Fig. 5, thereby locking the wheel andpreventing the shaft from unwinding.

The full wound osition of the parts is shown in Fig. 4 wit the guycables wound in tension on ratchet drums 22 holding the aeroplane wingsin normal flying position, the outer teeth of ratchet rack 32functioning as a holding pawl on ratchet 29. A suitable adjustable stopmay be provided if desired, for abutment of lever 36 when rocking thelever for winding of the wing cables preventing releasing of the racks.

To release the ratchet wheel, guy cables and wing structure, the racks31 and 32 are pulled forward by lever 36 as shown in Fig. 5. Theaeroplane wing structure has sufficient spring qualities to permit thelast teeth of ratchet rack 32 to be pulled clear of the ratchet wheel29.' Suitable guides 51 and 52 are provided for the racks 31 and 32which are drawn together by spring 30.

To wind the wing cables, the racks are pushed into engagement with theratchet wheel by lever 36 near the position shown in Fig. 4, the firsttooth 54 of rack 31 engaging a tooth of wheel 29, the oppositelyarranged teeth of rack 32 riding over the wheel teeth. Upon pushing rack31 fully back to the position shown in Fig. 6 by means of lever 36 whichis pushed forward, the teeth of rack 31 engage the wheel teeth turningthe wheel 29 and drum 22 winding the wing cables against the tension ofwing springs 40. The teeth of rack 32 when pushed rearwardly ride overthe wheel teeth. If the lever 36 is released, a tooth of rack 32 isengaged by spring 30 with a wheel tooth holding the wheel against theengaging teeth of rack 31.

Upon rocking lever 36 rearwardly, the rack 32 is pulled forward to theinitial position shown in Fig. L, the teeth thereof now engaging thewheel teeth and turning the wheel 29 and drums 22 Winding the wingcables thereon. The teeth of rack 31 now ride over the wheel teeth andact as a stop pawl thereon when the lever is released.

The cycle of operation is repeated by rocking the lever 36 forward andbackward until the wing cables are wound on drums 22.

Various changes may be made in the details of the device withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An aeroplane provided with upper and lower side wings, the upperwings being hinged to the fuselage, each lower wing comprising a middlesection hinged to the side of the aeroplane fuselage and front and rearsections hinged to the front and rear edges of each middle section,struts connecting the upper wings to the middle sections of the lowerwings, guy ropes connected to the respective sections, and a windingmechanism carried by the fuselage operable therefrom while the machineis in flight and controlling said guy ropes.

2. An aeroplane as set forth in claim 1, the front and rear sectionsbeing connected to the middle sections of the wings on oblique diverginglines.

In testimony whereof, I do affix my signature.

ANTON NOSAN.

